Koei Unveils New Wii RPG

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From the makers of Dragon Quest VII

By Anoop Gantayat

Koei met with members of the Japanese press in Tokyo today to unveil a new, original RPG for the Wii. Titled Opoona, this game is being developed by Japanese development house Arte Piazza (previous work on Dragon Quest VII and the PS2 remake of Dragon Quest V) for Japanese release this summer.

The game's title is taken from the main character's name. Opoona is the son of a Cosmo Guard, a warrior that protects the peace in the universe. One day, he's out with his family on a space trip, and gets involved in an accident. His parents are killed, and he finds himself separated from his brother and sister.

Your goal in the game is to help Opoona find his siblings. Opoona starts his adventure on the planet of Landroll, which is being terrorized by demos known as the Dark Rogues. The people of Landroll reside in sealed residential areas, and those who dare step outside face threat of attack.

Part of the game has players experiencing daily life in one of these residential areas. You'll have to take on jobs in order to live properly. The game includes over twenty jobs, ranging from professional detective work to a part time job at a fast food restaurant. Performing jobs increases Opoona's stats, improves his relationship with townfolk, and also opens up new areas of the game world.

This isn't just another simulation game, though. The game includes a storyline that's split into chapters. As one would expect of an RPG, you'll have to explore the dangerous fields surrounding the residential areas and face off against enemies in battle.

The game's "Active Bon Bon Battle System" makes use of a few of the system's motion sensing capabilities. Opoona has a ball on his head called the Energy Bon Bon. You attack your enemies by tossing this ball. To toss the ball, you hold back on the nunchuck's analogue stick, then swing the nunchuck in the direction you want to toss. Koei noted that the entire battle system can be controlled with the nunchuck, so players can lay down as they play.

As you advance in the game, you'll eventually rescue your sister Paullina and your brother Copoona. These two can then be used in battle. Paullina has two balls on her head instead of one. Copoona has his Energy Bon Bon below him (he doesn't have feet, unlike his brother and sister), which apparently gives him better magic capabilities.

At today's unveiling event, Koei introduced some of the staff members of team Opoona. From Arte Pizza, Shintarou Mashima is producing the project, with direction by Yukiko Sugimura. The aural side of the project is being overseen by Hitoshi Sakimoto, who previously worked on Final Fantasy XII and Vagrant Story.

Dragon Quest producer Yuji Hori was at the event as well. While not having a role in the game's development, he's the one who got Arte Piazza and Koei talking following last year's E3. At that time, Arte Piazza had already started development on the game, but was without a publisher.

Since they went with Koei, we hope to be able to share details on a US release for this title in the near future.